The Seahawks head into Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals trying to shake off their worst loss since December 2024, and two numbers tell the story of where things are wobbling and where they can still steady themselves.
Start with 52. That’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s share of all passing yards thrown by Sam Darnold and Drew Lock combined.
It’s a huge slice of the offense, and it points to a unit that has gone flat and leaned too hard on one target. Right now, Seattle doesn’t have much balance.
The run game hasn’t taken off, and there isn’t another reliable weapon stepping up behind JSN. There is at least a path for the ground attack to get going against Arizona, which ranks 19th in rushing yards per game this season.
Even so, the bigger need is simple: someone other than Smith-Njigba has to start finding the end zone and pulling in more targets.
Then there’s 83. That’s the Seahawks’ red-zone touchdown percentage allowed to opponents, and it’s the worst mark in the league.
The strange part is how far that is from what Seattle looked like a year ago. This wasn’t a defense that merely tightened up between the 20s and then slipped near the goal line.
Last season, it was dominant everywhere and finished as the best total defense in the league. This year, the Seahawks are still holding up reasonably well in other areas.
They’re limiting yardage between the 20s. They’re limiting points overall.
They rank seventh in scoring defense. But the red zone has become a problem spot.
That’s the part that has people around the team searching for answers. The explanations have come from everywhere, and none of them seem to fully settle the issue. The question now is whether this is something that will sort itself out over time, or whether it’s just an odd outlier in an otherwise solid defense.
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Seahawks Defense Has A Film Problem Fans Will Notice Fast
The Seahawks defense left plenty to sort through after the loss to the Bears, and the film points to a few issues that were hard to miss. Chicago stayed committed to the run on first down, then kept Seattle in uncomfortable spots on second down, where the Bears were able to stay on schedule and avoid obvious passing downs.
Caleb Williams also found answers in the passing game, especially between the numbers and on deeper throws, which made the Bears offense tougher to pin down than Seattle would have liked. The numbers from the game line up with broader NFL trends in a way that should get the Seahawks attention, because this was less about one busted play than a defense that struggled to get off the field in the moments that mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Roster Shuffle Hints At Injury Plan Before Cardinals Game
The Seahawks made a small but telling roster move this week, releasing running back Velus Jones Jr. and bringing him back on the practice squad to open a spot on the 53-man roster. It is the kind of transaction that usually says as much about the injury report as it does about the player involved, especially with Seattle trying to sort through multiple health issues before its Week 9 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals.
Seattle also added quarterback Adrian Martinez and linebacker Jamie Sheriff to the practice squad, giving the team a little more depth as it navigates the week. The open roster spot is expected to be filled by a player from one of the injured positions, which suggests the Seahawks are already bracing for some shuffling before they get to Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Injury Trouble Just Hit Two Spots They Cant Afford
The Seahawks are dealing with fresh injury complications in two places they can least afford them, and both come with immediate lineup implications. Guard Quenton Nelson is set for a minor knee procedure and is expected to be out week-to-week, though Seattle is not planning to place him on injured reserve, according to coach Mike Macdonald. The team also had to sort through a handful of other injury updates and lineup changes as it tried to keep the depth chart intact.
At quarterback, the situation is just as uneasy. Drew Lock will start against Arizona with Sam Darnold sidelined, even as Lock has been limited in practice by an elbow issue. For a Seahawks team trying to steady itself, the timing of those absences only adds to the pressure heading into a game where every healthy body matters. [Read more 🡒]